I Created a Custom GPT for Data Science Nerds 👩🏻‍💻

Custom GPTs let you wrap focused skills—grounded in your own materials—into a shareable assistant. Here’s a practical walkthrough of building a Data Science Coach GPT that answers field questions using your video transcripts and can save conversations to Google Docs for later reference.

What this GPT does

• Answers questions about breaking into data analytics, skills, tooling, and learning paths.

• Uses your uploaded transcripts/scripts as a knowledge base, prioritizing practicality and accuracy.

• Offers a one-click “Save to Google Doc” action that files the chat (title → question → answer) in the user’s Drive.

Build steps (end-to-end)

1. Open the GPT Builder

   • Go to Explore → Create a GPT. Start in the Create tab to describe the assistant in natural language.

   • Example brief: “Make a data science coach that provides practical advice on analytics careers, learning roadmaps, and resources. Tone: supportive, accurate, concise. If unsure, say ‘I don’t know.’ Avoid generic advice.”

2. Refine in Configure

   • Confirm Name, Description, and Instructions the builder generated.

   • Add or trim Conversation Starters (e.g., “How do I start a career in data science?” “What skills does a data analyst need?”).

3. Upload your knowledge base

   • Add video transcripts, scripts, or PDFs. Keep files narrow, dated, and high-quality; prefer batches over giant dumps.

   • Tip: include titles and dates in filenames so the GPT can cite clearly in its answers.

4. Enable capabilities

   • Toggle Code Interpreter (useful for small calculations or formatting), Browsing (optional), and Image generation if relevant.

   • Start with Code Interpreter + Browsing for the coach scenario.

5. Add an Action: Save to Google Docs

   • In Add Actions, import a schema from an automation provider that exposes Google Docs endpoints.

   • In your GPT Instructions, spell out the workflow the model should follow when the user asks to save:

     • Propose a short, descriptive document title.

     • Create the doc from text.

     • Append the structured content (Title → Question → Answer).

   • Provide example triggers (e.g., “Please save this conversation to Google Docs”) and tell the model to condense long chats when necessary to avoid size errors.

6. Privacy and sharing

   • Add a basic privacy policy (what’s stored, where, and by whom).

   • Publish as Only me, Link-shared, or Public. You can later list it in the GPT store when available.

How it feels to use

• Ask: “How do I pivot from BI to data science?”

• The coach pulls from your transcripts and replies with staged milestones (core Python, stats, SQL, portfolio strategy), resource types, and timelines.

• Say: “Save this to Google Docs.”

• The GPT authenticates the action, creates a doc in Drive, titles it, and stores a tidy Q&A record you can reference later.

Design choices that matter

• Grounding over guesswork: Instruct the GPT to prefer your uploads and admit uncertainty if the corpus lacks an answer.

• Tone and scope: Keep guidance practical; avoid over-promising.

• Error recovery: If the doc is too long to save, the GPT should summarize and retry—tell it that explicitly.

• File hygiene: Many small, well-labeled files beat one massive file. Remove outdated content or mark it as such.

Guardrails and limitations

• Data handling: Don’t pass unnecessary personal data to actions. Remind users that third-party services may process content they choose to save.

• Auth prompts: First-time action use requires user authorization; document this in a quick “How to use this GPT” note.

• Model limits: Very long chats may require summarization before saving. Instruct the model to chunk intelligently.

• Scope creep: This is a coach—not a substitute for legal, compliance, or hiring decisions. Have it gracefully decline off-topic or risky requests.

Monetization and distribution ideas

• Offer a free coach with link-share and a pro version with extra actions (resume grader, portfolio review template generator, course planner).

• Bundle learning plan templates, resume bullets generator, and SQL practice prompts as downloadable resources inside the GPT.

• Provide a setup service: you transform someone’s channel/blog archive into their own branded coach GPT with Docs/Drive actions included.

Quick checklist

• Clear, narrow purpose and target audience

• Curated, up-to-date transcripts as knowledge

• Code Interpreter enabled; optional Browsing

• Google Docs save action with stepwise instructions

• Privacy policy + sharing mode chosen

• Error-handling guidance (summarize on overflow)

• Short “Getting started” message for users

Bottom line: With a small, well-curated corpus and one practical action, you can ship a helpful, branded data science coach in an afternoon—useful for learners, communities, or teams who want reliable, portable advice and a paper trail in their Drive.